Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Diversity training for CU online newspaper staff to come

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/22/diversity-training-for-campus-press/
CU's journalism dean mandates diversity training after a "columnist" did a satire about Asian students.

From the UNC Mirror: an editorial about CU and CSU student journalists:
http://www.uncmirror.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&uStory_id=6fe9564a-1177-4acb-810a-bd3622f554d8

Peck's story about Gannett's independent newspapers at SPJ.org

SPJ posted this last week:
GANNETT MAKING THE MOVE ON STUDENTS?
In August 2006, Gannett Co. bought its first independent student newspaper. It followed up last year with the purchase of its second independent student paper. This year, there are rumbles that the company is looking at purchasing still other student papers. SPJ member Lee Anne Peck examines how two student newspapers have fared since their acquisition.
Go to SPJ.org to read the story.

Cricket fever in Fort Fun?

From Angela Natividad via Ad Rants
Stanford 20/20 Tries Drumming Up Cricket Love in the US

See all those colorful words at left? It's not just a hodgepodge of nonsense. It's a manifesto. Its job is to encourage you to visit YouGottaSeeThis2020 with the express intention of cultivating your new passion: cricket.
And then, and then, you'll have to turn on your TV from January 26-February 24 and follow cricket. (Oops.)
The campaign, which aspired to educate the fine people of Fort Collins, CO about cricket while channeling the Caribbean party atmosphere of Stanford 20/20 (eh?), was put together by PUSH. The reaction was described thus:
Crowds are attending the viewing parties, concerts and events in large numbers. Home viewers are sharing their thoughts online at the Stanford 20/20 U.S. message board. Teachers are adding cricket to their physical education programs, and the kids of Ft. Collins are even playing makeshift cricket matches in their neighborhoods.
Simply stated, the people of Ft. Collins have caught Stanford 20/20 Cricket fever.
The question of the hour is, "But will Colorado Cricket Fever become pandemic?" (And if it does, where can we get our shots?)

'Snide advertising' too mean?

http://adage.com/cmostrategy/article?article_id=125053
Richard Rapaport, writing in Advertising Age, says snide advertising is just plain dumb. Read his comments at the link above.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Socially responsible or not? Talking about autism

From MediaLife.com:
Autism advocates rap CBS over 'Brother' statements Another television network is under fire over the issue of autism. An autism charity called Autism United has demanded top bosses at CBS apologize after a contestant on “Big Brother” used derogatory language to refer to people with autism. The contestant in question, Adam Jasinski, said if he won he would use the money to open a hair salon for “retards,” by which he meant people with autism. He was quickly reprimanded by another housemate. Autism United says that while Jasinski displayed “gross ignorance,” the producers of the show are also to blame as they chose to use these quotes in the show. CBS yesterday issued a statement condemning Jasinski’s comment. The incident comes not long after ABC came under fire from the American Academy of Pediatrics for an episode of new legal drama “Eli Stone” in which a lawyer wins a big case after arguing that a child’s autism has been caused by a childhood vaccine. While the show does state that science has not found a link between the vaccine and autism, the AAP believed the episode left the impression that the vaccine was at fault."

Monday, February 18, 2008

Whoops! Headline doesn't match photo

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/askeditor/stories/021408dnediasktheeditor.bc1d8c24.html
Dallas Morning News makes wrong choice on photo it publishes. "Ask the editor" George Rodrigue explains what happened.

NIU newspaper staffers maintain professionalism

Student or staff member? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/business/media/18college.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&8seia=&oref=slogin&emc=seia&adxnnlx=1203530611-zDw0Iy3w9G3XI5WiJKlmFw

A video: http://getfreshcut.com/2008/02/17/covering-a-tragedy-niu/

Code of conduct protects kids

From the Guardian's Richard Wray:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/18/news

"Media companies including the BBC, Channel 4, Google, Yahoo and social-networking site Bebo have signed up to a new code of conduct, to be announced today, designed to give parents more information about the suitability for children of audiovisual content available on the internet and mobile phones.
The new content information guidelines have been developed by industry and the government's independent advisory body the Broadband Stakeholder Group, backed by regulator Ofcom. For the first time, they extend the existing principles of broadcast consumer guidance across the wider new media industry.
The guidelines do not cover user-generated content such as that found on YouTube or adverts. Instead, they call for all commercially generated content available online or on mobile phones to be flagged if it is unsuitable for particular age groups or contains content that may harm or offend."

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Clothing ad uses Bin Laden double

http://commercial-archive.com/node/142631
Using Bin Laden in an ad campaign. Tasteful or not? Check out the video at the above link

Monday, February 11, 2008

Controversial comment about Chelsea becomes big problem

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/clinton_no_temporary_suspension_or_halfhearted_apology_is_sufficient_77088.asp
Newscaster says Hillary is "pimping out" her daughter, is suspended, and the Clintons says his apology is not good enough. Ouch! Comments above from mediabistro.com

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Super Bowl ads draw racism criticism

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/06/business/media/06adco.html?ref=media
Should the pandas in this ad for Salesgenie.com speak with Chinese accents? And what about its other ad where an Indian man is harassed? Lots of ads are criticized, actually. See what you think.

Third-party endorsements: OK or not?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/business/media/07jarvik.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin
The man who created the artificial art years ago appears in an ad for the drug Lipitor. He is shown rowing--which he doesn't do and a body-double was used--and is not licensed to practive medicine. Yet, he allegedly takes the drug. Hmmm.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Britney versus Bush: Who gets the most coverage?

According to Think Progress, Britney Spears recently made the news more than President Bush. See the story at http://www.local10.com/news/15181084/detail.html?rss=mia&psp=news

Believable or not? Detroit mayor apologizes to city for his inappropriate msgs

Northern Colorado student Haley McNeill pointed out this PR ploy:http://www.local10.com/news/15181084/detail.html?rss=mia&psp=news
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick apologizes for his alleged affair with his wife at his side--in a church.

J-school creates site for citizen journalists

http://www.kcnn.org/about/cuny_journalism_school_launches_web_site
What are the legal and ethical responsibilities of citizen journalists? Just the same as any professional journalist--but many citizen journalists don't know the ins and outs. CUNY J-school has created a helpful Web site for those who need to know more.

Magazine editor apparently doesn't know ethics

From Columbia Journalism Review: "The new chief of an upcoming Wall Street Journal magazine aimed at the superrich quoted her business partner in a Times of London column and mentioned their business—a small chain of yoga studios—in other columns without telling readers of her interest in it."
Read the story at http://www.cjr.org/the_audit/downward_facing_dog.php

ET pulls partying Heath Ledger segment

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/01/entertainment-1.html
February sweeps brings out the worst in TV programming. Entertainment Tonight and Inside Edition planned to air a 2-year-old video of Heath Ledger, who recently passed away, on the first day of the February sweeps. Ledger is allegedly "under the influence" in the video.

DU newspaper adviser tells photog to make sky blue

http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=28059
Poynter's columnist Romenesko points out this dilemma: The photo editor of University of Denver's Clarion says his adviser thought the sky was too white in a photo and that "I should have colored the sky blue in Photoshop so that it looked better." Justin Edmonds refused to do it. "She then told me that if I didn't do what she asked to make the pictures better then she would find someone else who could." Dozens of SportsShooter.com readers have commented on Edmond's post. Click on the link to read more.